Artificial pace maker for the heart



June 13, 1933. c. H. HYMAN l-:r AL

ARTIFICIAL PACE MAKER FOR THE HEART 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 12,1930 June 13, 1933. C;l H HYMAN -r AL 1,913,595'

ARTIFICIAL PACE MAKER FOR THE HEART Filed March 12, 195o 2 sheets-sheet2 Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES HENRY HYMANAND ALBERT S. HYMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ARTIFICIAL PACE MAKER FOR THE HEART Application filed March 12, 1930.Serial No. 435,253.

This invention relates to the method of an apparatus for stimulating theheart which has ceased to function as a result of accident,electrocution, gas poisoning, ether anesthesia or shock of any kind,andfwhich may be found in infants that are still born, by a specialelectric current approximating in strength, frequency and distributionthe normal current of the heart.

Various methods have been utilized in the treatment of the normal heartwhich has' stopped for any of the reasons pointed out above, and suchknown methods usually employ injections of certain cardiac remedies inthe heart muscle or its environs. This treatment is proving successfulin a substantial percentage of cases, but response appears to be due notso much to the special cardiac remedy used, as to the reaction of theheart muscle following directly upon the prick of the needle whichprecedes the injection. We base this assumption upon the fact that analmost endless number and variety of substances have resulted inpractically the same response.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the principal object of this inventionto stimulate the stopped heart by means of an electric currentintroduced into the heart whereby an artificial pacemaker is set up inthe heart without the use of organic or inorganic substances. Weaccomplish this object by means of a method of procedure employing aninstrument which is capable of being set into motion at an instantsnotice to produce a special electric current flowing at any desiredfrequency and .strength into a specially constructed needle fordistribution directly into the resting heart to stimulate the same tonormal and continued action.

One embodiment of the instrument which we contemplate using to carry outthe steps of our invention is illustratively exemplified in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a substantiallysectional-view of a complete kit and the instrumentalities used toproduce and distribute the special electric currentr to the heart of thecorpse; Figure 2 isa plan `view' of the kit showing parts broken away todisclose otherwise hidden parts; Figure 3 is a substantially transversesectional view taken on lines of Figure l; Figure 4 is a wiring diagramof theelectric current generator and conductors; Figure 5 is asubstantially longitudinal secfi tional View of the discharge end of theneedle used to conduct the electric current; and Figure 6 is anelevational View of one side of the interrupter.

Referring to the method of carrying out our invention, it will beassui'ned that the practitioner is confronted with the problem ofrestoring a stopped heart to its noi-mai functioning. The heart whichhas stopped is in healthy condition but because of severe shock or otherunusual cause has ceased to beat. In other words, the human pace makeris no longer setting `up the electrical impulses in the heart. Let it beassumed that these electric current impulses at a certain potential arenormally discharged at the rate of seventy-two times a minute. Havingascertained these facts by known methods which form no part of thisinvention, the pulsator regulator of the instrument is set at 72 and thespeed of the generator element is set to produce the required current.The end of the' needle, from which these current impulses aredischarged, is then injected into the heart, with the current turned on.As a result the needle which carries the desired current begins tostimulate the heart to action and maintain the necessary flow ofelectric impulses to the organ until its natural pace maker has regainedcapacity sufficient to again .set up normal electrical impulses'in theheart.

Referring now to the drawings, and to the embodiment of an instrumentfor carrying out the steps of our invention and the production of anartificial pacemaker for the heart, l0 denotes a suitable case having adeep body receptacle and a cover 1l hinged thereto along one side of theopen end. The top of the body 1 0 is provided with an instrument boardl2. Mounted upon the floor of the body portion 10 and located againstone side wall is a spring motor 13, which has not been detailed becauseany type of motor may be used, but which is preferably wound up by meansof a needle 48. The glow is on in the lamp 42 when the current is cutoff from the needle and vic-e versa, and it is these impulsesdischarging into the needle which must be regulated by the manipulationof the lever or arm 37 to approximate in frequency the normal current inthe heart. By thrusting the point of the needle into the stopped heartthis eurrent generated in the generator is transmitted at the properimpulse into the heart and becomes an artificial pacemaker therefor.

Having now described our invention what we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

l. An instrument for producing a special electric current for thepurpose described, comprising a source of electric current, aninterrupter for the flow of said current in a circuit, means forregulating the said interruptions and an electrode needle for firstpiercing the human heart and then introducing and discharging theimpulses of said current directly into the heartstructure, saidinterrupter comprising a rotary metal disc in the circuit from thesource of current, said disc having insulated areas on opposite faceseut away to expose segmental sections of the disc, the exposed sectionson one side thereof corresponding in position and area to the insulatedarea of the other side, a pair of brushes in contact with opposite facesof the disc and insulated from each other to pick up the interruptedflow of current from both sides of the disc, a signal in the circuitfrom one brush, the other brush supplying current in impulses to saidintroducing and discharging means.

2. An instrument for producing a special electric current for thepurpose described, comprising a source of electric current, aninterrupter for the flow of said current in a circuit, means forregulating the said interruptions, and an electrode needle for firstpiercing the human heart and then introducing and discharging theimpulses of said current directly into the heart structure, in which themeans for discharging the current into the heart comprises a needlehaving a metal core to carry one current, an insulating sheath embracingsaid core, and a metal sleeve embracing the sheath and carrying theother current, said core and sleeve being eX- posed at the end of theneedle for contact and discharge of their currents into the heart.

3. An electric needle for the purpose described, comprising a shank toreceive negative and positive currents, a metal tubular member mountedin said shank and connected with one of the currents, a metal corewithin said tubular member and connected with the other current throughthe shank, and an insulating sheath between the two metal parts, saidparts being pointed at the free end of the needle and exposed forcontact with the heart.

4. In a device for the purpose described, the combination of a springmotor, a current generator driven by said motor, for creating a sourceof current, a circuit from the generator, an interrupter in said circuitcomprising a rotary disc driven from said motor, and having segmentalcontacting surfaces on one face and corresponding insulated surfaces onthe other face, said contacting surfaces being of varying lengths fromthe center of the disc, a brush picking up the interrupted electriccurrent from each side of the disc, means for adjusting the relation ofthe brushes to their respective contacting surfaces to regulate thedurations of said interruptions in the current, a signal lamp in thecircuit from the one brush, and an electrical needle in the circuit fromthe other brush for introducing and discharging negative and positivecurrents into the heart.

In testimony whereof they have aixed their signatures. y

ALBERT S. HYMAN. CHARLES HENRY HYMAN.

